"Be still when you have
nothing to say; when genuine passion moves you,
say what you've got to say, and say it
hot."

-
- D. H. Lawrence

It's October: Wake Up and Live Your Passions!

by Reggie Odom

What would you be doing, or how would you be
living, that would make you want to get out of bed in
the morning - excited and eager for your day? What
would make you feel alive and energized? What is it
that doesn't feel like work, but for which you could
very well be handsomely paid? Wake up my friend!
This is your passion speaking.

For too many of us, the voice of our passion has
been quieted, ignored, or put at the bottom of
our “to do” list. Henry David Thoreau wrote in the
19th century that “The mass of (men) live lives of
quiet desperation.” We all do if we are not connected
to our passion and living what we are most
passionate about.

When I began training employees of the
Commonwealth of Massachusetts in the mid-1980’s, I
was struck by a Friday conversation that had started
on Monday. No matter what day of the week, most
of the people in my groups were looking toward,
talking about, and living for Friday afternoon, when
they would be done with it all. I was astonished that
people were willing to “live” in only two days out of
seven. For most, the illusory comfort and security of
a State job with benefits and a retirement plan were
like the proverbial “golden handcuffs.” I wondered if
their weekends were really different, or if they spent
them trying to recover from the week
before.

Yet, over the course of most of these trainings,
people would get glimpses of who they were at
heart, or what they were passionate about. Their
faces would come alive, and eyes that were dull
moments before would light up. This is an amazing
transformation to experience. Often there were
invisible performers in the room who had long ago
stepped off the stage or put away their dancing
shoes. However, we somehow discovered them
before the day was over, and the atmosphere was
such that they would come forward and perform for
us before our time together ended. They came alive
in front of the room. Interestingly, this all took place
in Stress Management trainings. The connection is
obvious, isn’t it?

Over the course of this past week, I interviewed two
new clients on the phone, both coming, in part, for
work- and business-related issues. Toward the end
of my conversation with the first I was drawn to
ask, “What are you so passionate about that if you
were doing it, you would wake up in the morning and
say to yourself, “Wow, I get to do this!” She burst
into tears and said, “Art, music and drama.” These
are the very things she had put away for years. I
heard her voice come alive. These things will be part
of our work together. With the second, what began
as one conversation, ended with her stated dream
of, “I want to perform modern ballet with a
company.” She has now stepped onto this
passionate path and this will be a part of our work
together.

People, especially women, are starting small
businesses in rapidly increasing numbers. In
Massachusetts alone, 17% of the labor force is sole
proprietors. The primary reason that most
entrepreneurs I speak with came into business was
because they had something they were passionate
about.

Passion is the fire of life. When we are connected to
our passion, and living our lives focusing on the
things we are most passionate about, our work and
our lives are “heart” work. We are excited about our
day when we wake up and our lives are meaningful,
purposeful, and deeply fulfilling.

Passion naturally taps into and opens up our valve to
the limitless life force energy that is always available
to us. When you are connected to your passion, your
energy is natural and sustainable, like solar power.
You no longer have to rely on adrenaline to get
through the next hour; you no longer become
exhausted and burn out.

Passion is the energy of attraction! Have you ever
wondered why we are so drawn to watching
professional athletes, movie stars or other
performers? Why are we willing to pay so much to do
so? We are drawn to their passion, to their vitality
and to the heights it takes them. Why not step out
of the spectator arena and instead become the
passionate “athlete” in your life. When you live with
passion, you become a magnet for people,
opportunities and circumstances that support your
passionate path. Passion is the key to absolute
success in any endeavor.

When you connect or reconnect with your passion
you come alive! You wake up to a life that is truly
worth living - the life you were meant for and
deserve to live. You make an enormous difference to
those around you and to the world at large. As
Harold Thurman Whitman wrote, ‘‘What the world
needs is people who have come alive.”

Copyright (c)Reggie Odom LICSW, CPCC, PCC
founder of
Inspired Works, is a Life Coach, inspirational speaker,
and lecturer at the Simmons College School of Social
Work. She is considered a master teacher and
unforgettable speaker. Reggie coaches professionals
and small business entrepreneurs who want more joy
and greater aliveness. She can be contacted at
(617) 524-6153,
reggie@reggieodom.com or you can visit her
website at
www.reggieodom.com.

Coaching Call To Action

Reserve 10 minutes of solitude. Have a pen or
pencil and paper with you. Relax and get comfortable
with a few conscious breaths.

Answer the following question: What are you so
passionate about that if you were doing it you would
wake up in the morning and say to yourself, “Wow, I
get to do this!” Write down your answer.

Your answer may take your breath, make you feel
like passing out, make you cry, go numb, or want to
get up and dance. If you experience any of these
things, you’ve connected with your passion. Don’t
worry; this is a part of the process.

Decide to prioritize your passion and begin
organizing your life around it. You don’t have to
know “how” at this moment. For now, simply focus
on this passionate “what” and the “how” will
unfold.

Find a coach, a group or a buddy to work with
that will support your passionate path
unconditionally.

Community Involvement

Warm Welcome to DWC Attendees of Balance:
Possibility or Fantasy?

A warm welcome to our new Coaching Tip of the
Week subscribers who joined me on Tuesday for my
teleclass program "Balance: Possibility or Fantasy?" I
enjoyed sharing my coaching tools and experiences
and learning from you. Thank you for attending and
participating.

November 6, 2006Discovering Your Path to Success at The
International Association of Administrative
Professionals (IAAP)

Andrea will provide her program for developing an
effective system to navigate professional and
personal growth to the Greater Boston Chapter of
the IAAP -- the world's leading organization
promoting the education and recognition of the office
professional.
http://www.greaterbostoniaap.com

About Andrea Novakowski

Coach Andrea's Coaching Tip of the Week is
brought to you by Andrea Novakowski, Master
Certified Coach who provides Business and Personal
Coaching to Executives, Small Business Owners,
Professionals and Managers. Andrea is a professional
coach who partners with people to set goals and
create momentum to produce effective results in
their business and/or personal lives.

Andrea is
available for individual coaching. If you are
serious about reaching your goals and living with
greater fulfillment and satisfaction, consider using a
coach. To schedule a COMPLIMENTARY initial
consultation, send an e-mail to Andrea at
andrea@coachandrea.com.

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